"How refreshing that the game's greenest superstar is reorienting the conversation around beginnings instead, because no career in men's tennis has ever started quite like that of Carlos Alcaraz. No man had ever seized all four of the sport's biggest trophies by the age of 22, a labor that the Spaniard completed Sunday by defeating Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, to win the 2026 Australian Open."
"Going into this season, Alcaraz had won the three other majors, twice apiece, but in Melbourne he had never advanced past the quarterfinal stage. There was no reason to think he couldn't; his success on outdoor hard courts had been demonstrated amply at other stops on tour. This year, he pushed through bodily distress and one of his most difficult opponents to finish the job and secure the career Grand Slam."
"The first occurred during his semifinal against Alexander Zverev, the opponent who cut short his 2024 run in Australia by serving him off the court. This year, Alcaraz had won his first 17 sets at the tournament, including the first two over Zverev in that semifinal. Carlitos seemed bound for straight-set victory when he started to cramp late in the third. He took a controversial medical timeout-cramps are not technically grounds for a medical timeout-vomited into a towel, drank some pickle juice, and"
Carlos Alcaraz completed a career Grand Slam at 22 by defeating Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, to win the 2026 Australian Open. Alcaraz had previously won the three other majors twice each but had never advanced past the Melbourne quarterfinal. He overcame bodily distress and formidable opponents to secure the title. A tense semifinal against Alexander Zverev saw him cramp late in the third set; he took a controversial medical timeout, vomited into a towel, and drank pickle juice. Alcaraz's combination of staggering talent, improvisational play, and present-focused swagger marks a rare beginning in men's tennis.
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